Full text of "Report"
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT
1948-1949
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
CITY POINT BRANCH
r 373 _
THE F»tJBLlfe' tlBWARY
□ F THE
CITY DF BaSTDN
Boston Public Library
Do not write in this book or mark it with pen or
pencil. Penalties for so doing are imposed by the
Revised Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
This took was issued to the borr
last stamped below.
ower on the date
'■■[Vpni;.
»
THESE ARE
YOUR CHILDREN'S
SCHOOLS
ANNUAL REPORT 1948-1949
DENNIS G. HALEY, Superintendent of Boston Public Schools
mucM
In School Committee, June 30, 1949.
Ordered, That this Committee hereby adopts as its Annual Report for the
year 1949, the Annual Report of the Superintendent, being School Document
Xo. 2, 1949.
Attest:
Louise K.^ne,
Secretary.
(.■?,000-7-29-'49.)
379
) ynjt^i'^^^
THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE OF THE CITY OF BOSTON
ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, IS BEACON STREET
BOSTON 8, MASSACHUSETTS
OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT- NINTH FLOOR
June 1$, 19h9
School Committee of the City of Boston
15 Beacon Street
Boston 8, Massachusetts
Gentlemen:
I transmit herewith to you and to the citizens of Boston the
annual report of the Superintendent of Schools for the school year, 19U8-U9.
Our children are our most treasured possessions. What goes on in
o\ir children's schools is, therefore, a matter of great concern to all our
citizens alike.
Inasmuch as this is ray first year as Superintendent, I felt that ny
report should be functional rather than statistical. It seemed to me that the
report should offer a comprehensive, easily readable survey of our educational
practices. In this way it presents a lucid and factual picture of our activi-
ties, for the information of all of our citizens, and in particular for the
information of the thousands of parents whose children are entering our schools
for the first time.
I selected a pictorial type of report because I feel, as did the old
Chinese philosopher, that a picture tells more than a thousand words.
The plan of the report is simple. It retails in simple language and
illustration the story of our schools day by day as the child proceeds through
the various levels from the kindergarten through the high school. In addition,
it explains the aims and objectives of the various agencies of the school sys-
tem as they work together for the basic aim of our schools: the physical,
mental, and moral efficiency and the worthy citizenship of our children,
I acknowledge my sincere appreciation to all the members of the pro-
fessional staff; particularly to Thomas C. Heffernan, Administrative Research
Assistant; Arthur P. Murray, Trade Instructor in photography; and Robert F.
Denvir, Master in English. The assistance of all of my co-workers has made
possible this report which is dedicated to the cooperative spirit of friendli-
ness and mutual aid which exists between the schools and the homes of our
great city.
^__ae§pect£uliy submitted
Superintendent of Public Scbools
Page Three
iOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
CHAIRMAN OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE
IS BEACON STREET, BOSTON 8, MASSACHUSETTS
Dr. Patrick .
CHAIRM/
June 15, 1919
Dr. Dennis C. Haley-
Superintendent of Public Schools
IS Beacon Street
Boston, Massachusetts
Dear Dr. Haley:
In accepting the annual report of the Superintendent
of Boston's Public Schools for the school year 19l;8-Ii9, the
School Committee wishes to congratulate and to thank all who
cooperated in the production of this interesting and effective
volume.
This report reviews the major developments during
the school year and describes briefly how the schools operate
in the education of Boston's children. It is hoped that
through this report the citizens of Boston will have an opportuni-
ty to understand better the progress, the meaning, and the
importance of the total program of education in the Boston
public schools.
It is the constant desire of the Boston School Committee
to maintain the high levels of accomplishments of the past and to
use every effort possible to increase the future effectiveness of
our school program.
truly yours
^anewo^d
One (if tlic THdsl iii(('i-('stin<i; (l('\('l()|)iiiciils in
m(i(l('i-ii ('(liirntioii is I he incrcasiiin' ]);ii-| llial
parciiis aiv Iakiii.i>- in (lie I raiiiin.i!,- of llicir cliil-
(lirn. I'Acii with I lie licaAV i)ur(l('ii laid on llioni
1).\ tiic chana.in.u- conditions of tli(> atomic i\go,
niodiTii parents are making every effort to under-
stand and siiare in the problems that their chil-
(hi'ii face as they proi>;i(>ss through tiie grades of
oiir school system.
It was with this fact in mind that the Super-
intendent of Public Schools instituted the first
cit>-wi(le Open House Night in the fall of 1948.
The response was most gratifying. Parents at-
tended in large numbers everywhere and showed
gr(>at interest in what was being done.
As a further step in the direction of bringing
school and home closer together, the number of
local Home and School Associations was increased
and A'isiting days were established for each
school.
Keeping in mind that schools are maintained
for adults as well as children, the Superintendent
of Public Schools recommended that those even-
ing schools which had been closed during the war
be reopened. This move enabled working i)eople
to attend school in their own districts.
In the course of the current year institutes
of better speech and of vocational guidance were
established as })art of the in-service training
program to improve curricula and instruction.
Similar institutes are planned for the other areas
of instruction and administration. In addition,
courses of study for all levels of the school system
are being surve.yed with a view to the develop-
ment of more effective teaching in all of our
classrooms.
Both press and radio have been most coop-
erative as a result of the new public relations
program initiated in the fall of 1948 to keep
the jniblic informed of what is going on in the
schools. A i)rofessional magazine for teachers
has also been introduced, as well as a news letter
co\ering activities in the School Department.
A well-jilanned long-range program of con-
struction, repair, and maintenance of school
Ituildings is already in progress, with additions to
two buildings in South Boston and Jirighton, and
a new six-room elementary building in Hyde
Park in jjrocess of construction.
Underlying every effort of th(> Boston Public
Schools is a sound philosophy of education. Im-
plicit in this philosophy is the conviction that the
future of American democracy depends u])on the
maintaining of individual opjiortunity, freedom,
and responsibility, and the fostering of private
initiative and social agreement. This ideal i)ro-
vides fundamental principles for the develop-
ment of educational policies and practices.
As we move into the second half of the
twentieth century we shall keep in mind this
ideal of democratic education: the development
of each child mentally, morally, and i)hysically
to the utmost of his capacities. While the Boston
Public Schools will continue to stress basic skills
and habits, they will nevertheless keep abreast of
the advances to be made in every field of en-
deavor, whether scientific, technical, industrial,
social, or academic, in order to meet the needs of
the future. Moreover, they will continue to
adapt the various curricula to meet changing
vocational and cultural requirements.
The implications of the next quarter of a
century are so great that pupils of our Boston
schools will need to understand a great deal more
about themselves and other i)eople than did the
children of a quarter century ago. Our program
of study will make it possible for them to do so
through the study of great leaders and move-
ments in various fields of endeavor, especially in
the social sciences and in world culture.
Highest tribute should be paid to the
teachers and other employees of the Boston
Public Schools for their constant loyalty and
cooperation in performing this most difficult task.
Their continued devotion to the aims of our
schools will make certain the successful carrying
out of our program to help prepare the boys and
girls of Boston for lives of usefulness and happiness
in the complex age that lies ahead.
Page Five
PATRICK J FOLEY, D.D.S. CHAIR^
DANIEL J MCDEVITT
ISADORE H. Y. MUCHNICK
On<^/CuKi<^aUo4i. o^ ike
SCHOOL
Patrick J. Foley, D.D.8.,
Daniel J. McDevitt
ISADORE H. Y. MuCHNICK
OFFICERS OF THE
Dennis C. Haley,
Assistant
Michael J. Downey
Frederick J. Gillis
Katharine C. McDonnell
Louise Kane
Secretary
James S. Reardon
Schoolhouse Custodian
SoUooi GafKnuUee>
COIMIMITTEE
Chairman
jNIichael J. Ward
Joseph C. White
SCHOOL COMIMITTEE
Superintendent
Superintendents
Gerald F. Coughlin
D. Leo Daley
Philip J. Bond
Henry J. Smith
Business Manager
Charles B. ^^IcINIackin
Engineer
ICHAEL J. WARD
JOSEPH C. WHITE
DENNIS C> HALEY. SUPERINTENDENT
BOARD OF EXAMINERS
Ralph M. Corson, Chiej Examiner
Charlottk Rafter, Examiner
DEPARTMENTS
Distributive Education
Agnes K. Brennan, Director
Elementary Supervisors
Theresa R. Flaherty, Director
Evening Schools, Day School for Inunigrants, and
Summer Review Schools
Joseph F. Gould, Director
Extended Use of Public Schools
James T. Mulroy, Director
Fine Arts
C'asimir F. Shea, Director
Household Science and Arts
]\1ary W. Cauley, Director
Industrial Arts
Francis J. Emery, Director
Kindergarten
Pauline F. Smith, Director
Music
Daniel D. Tierney, Jr., Director
Physical Education
Joseph P. ]\IcKenney, Director
Practice and Training
^Mercedes E. O'Brien, Director
School Hygiene
James A. Keenan, M.D., Director
School Lunches
Eleanor D. Upham, Director
Speech hnprovement Classes
Theresa A. Dacey, Director
Special Classes
Helen F. Cummings, Director
Visual and Radio Education
Joseph A. Hennessey, Director
BUREAU OF CHILD ACCOUNTING
Educationcd Investigation and Measurement Jxivenile Adjustment
Mary B. Cummings, Director
Vocational Guidance
Thomas D. Ginn, Director
Employment
Irving O. Scott, Acting Head
Francis J. Daly, Head
Attendance
Henry F. Barry, Head Supervisor
Statistics and Publicity
John P. Sullivan, Head
SPECIALIZED INSTRUCTION OR SERVICE
Conservation of Eyesight Classes
Regina I. Driscoll, Assistant in Charge
Licensed Minors
Timothy F. Regan, Supervisor
Lip Reading Classes
]\Iabel F. Dunn, Assistant in Chan
Penmanship
Marion V. Morrison, Assistant Director
Health Education and Safety Education
Edward J. Wall, Superinsor
Home Instruction to Physiccdly Handicapped
Children
Mary H. Stroup, Supervisor
Administration Library
Elizabeth Burrage, Librarian
Page Eight
(leadi
••K'oady" is the woi'd for the llir('(> youn.i;-
people siniliii.i;- al you IVoin \\\v cox-er of this
icpott. Tlu\\- are typical Boston liit>;Ii school
iiiaduates. alei't, poised, skilled i)repai'(>d for
\vliate\-er life has in store fof tluMn.
'I'lu^sc^ same youngsters are characteristic of
the thousands of hoys and girls who, every year,
are graduated from the public schools of Boston
to enter business and industry; or to go on to
higher institutions of leai'uing to ]H-ei)are for
places in the professions and for executive posi-
tions in business and industry. They have had
as much as 13 years of careful, progressive instruc-
tion under the supervision of the teachers, prin-
cipals, headmasters, and directors of the Boston
Public School System.
From the time when they are almost babies
to the day they graduate from the high schools,
these pupils have also been the care of the many
other services which supplement the work of the
classroom teachers in the school system, under
the direction of the Superintendent of Schools
and the administration of the representatives of
the i:)eople, the School Committee.
These many agencies, added to the regular
classroom organization of the Boston schools,
were all instituted to help the children of the
city along the way to a richer, fuller life and a
more useful place in the community. Because
of the unobtrusive way m which they work, not
all of them are well known. But they are all
working for one purpose alone — the greater
advantage of Boston's school children and the
future benefit of the community as a whole.
What are some of the various agencies
which work with and supplement the classroom
teacher's efforts'? There are groups of experts
who direct the education of children handicapped
in a number of different ways. Other agencies
specialize in the educational and emotional
measurement of the children, to aid the class-
room teacher better to understand the child.
Still others cope with the problems of the mal-
adjusted child. Boys and girls interested in
indusli'ial. coinincM'cial, or artistic careers are
under the guidance and direction of skilled
teachers in those fields, each one cooperating
with the classroom teacher and i^rincipal to
niak(> certain that all the potentialities of the
children are brought to complete fruition.
In this atomic age, so highly industrialized
and mechanized, training in health and safety
practices is an important consideration in the
education of children. The Boston Public School
System has facilities to insure that the children
of the city are given the best possible instruction
in these highly important phases of modern
living.
Experts in physical education supervise the
activities of the children from the kmdergarten
on through the high school. The\' and our
teachers make available to the children the most
progressive ideas on personal hygiene and proper
habits of diet.
One of the newer departments is that of
\'isual and Radio Education, which brings to the
aid of the classroom teacher the most modern
equipment in visual and sound devices to vitalize
instruction.
Nor are the adults of the aiiy forgotten by
the Boston School Department. For them
evening instruction is provided in academic and
commercial subjects, in addition to neighborhood
activities in various centers of the city, super-
vised by the Department of Extended Use of
Public Schools.
But let us not forget our smiling young
graduates on the cover. Let us go back and
follow them and their classmates through the
years from the first day when they walked a little
fearfully into their kindergarten room. In doing
this we shall perhaps be able to relive just a little
of our own happj^ school daj^s. We may be able
also to see how much the Boston Public Schools
have progressed since those happy, far-off days.
The schools of Boston have a challenge to meet
in this atomic age, and they are prepared to meet
that challenge.
Page Nine
^i^d StefLl . . .
The most significant step a child takes in
the course of building a wholesome, happy per-
sonality and laying the foundation of good citi-
zenship is the first one — the change from the
environment of the home to the environment of
the school.
In the home, he has been under the protection
of his mother for most of his waking hours; he
has had the security which a mother can give
under even the most trying circumstances. When
he enters kindergarten, however, he enters a
strange new world. He must begin developing a
social attitude which will enable him to get along
with his fellows, both now and in later life.
The typical Boston kindergarten helps him
do this. With the aid of skilled, patient, under-
standing teachers, using techniques which are
both educationally and sociallj^ valuable to the
child, his training progresses day by day toward
the right, happj- attitude necessary for interest
and success in school life.
Among the important things the child learns
in the course of this first step are improved powers
of observation; a new sense of security and con-
fidence in himself to work with others; good
sportsmanship and a democratic attitude. These
are gained through plaj^ and work with others
and by himself as well.
At the same time the child is improving his
power to think clearly and to reason about things,
even to evaluate simple situations. Making
simple objects with plastic material, clay, and the
like, the child learns good habits and attitudes
toward work; furthermore, if there are artistic or
dramatic powers latent in him, the methods of the
teacher will bring them out in various ways.
In the course of the year, the pupil will also
improve his physical well-being. He will be able
to use his body, his hands, and his eyes more
efficiently. And when the end of the year has
come, he has finished the first step. He is a much
more capable, poised human being. He has
begun his education.
SAY IT AGAIN, CHARLES
This is a typical scene in a Boston kindergarten. The boy is getting
practice in speaking on his feet, a valuable asset, which will help
him in the upper years cf his school career. Notice the interested
mothers in the background near the teacher.
Page Eleven
house flower
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tovs
ai
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mail
Pcunt
01
hoi I
Poostep
ay..;-
crayons
trav
CD
inn
Ao^ We deed BoJii . . .
Tli(> little cliildrcn who, a year ago, came to
kiiulergarten IkuxIIv knowing- what to expect
are now ready for the hrst grade. The>' have
learned to j)lay and work with each other with-
out friction. They can solve simple problems
and have formed habits and attained skills which
will help them to learn reading, writing, arith-
metic. In a word, they are ready for elementary
school.
The elementar.y school of today is a far
different place from the institution which is
fondly remembered as the school where the three
R's were learned. The implications of a scientific
age, overshadowed by advances in atomic energy,
must necessarily require a much more complex
type of education even at the elementary stage.
The modern elementary school, such as ours
in Boston, teaches not only the three R's, but
literature,'^ history, health training, and geog-
raphy; and nature study as an introduction to
the sciences; music, household arts, and the be-
ginnings of industrial arts. Children are even
released from school for religious education when
it is desired.
Nor is the individuality of the child neg-
lected. He is tested from time to time to make
certain he is doing what he should be doing
as well as he can. Testing may show that the
child is slow in learning or even exceptionally
brilliant. He may have physical or mental handi-
caps. When such condition is determined, the
child is placed in a class where he can make the
most progress with the ability or skill he possesses.
If testing shows that the child has improved,
he may be reclassified at any time.
VOWELS ARE EASY
These children in a Boston elementary school are learning to read
by means of cards. Cards containing words which have similar
sounds aid the child in learning and putting words together. Note
the large charts on the wall containing various vowel combina-
tions.
Page Thirteen
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cMelpLUtcf. cMandd^
At this i)oint it may be well to consider some
of the \ital adjuncts to the classroom work which
enable the classroom teacher to give every child
the opportunity to develop himself and to pro-
i>;r(\<!s toward his goal — a rich, full life — wdth
a niininiuni of emotional upset.
In the cotu'se of the school yeai-, many
specialists are at work in the Boston Public
Schools, cooperating with teachers and prmcipals
— all with one goal in mind ; namely, the greatest
l)ossible development of each child. At the
Ijeginning of the year, for example, the child
meets the school doctor and the nurse. Later,
he takes tests under the guidance of experts from
the Department of Educational Investigation
and ]\Ieasurement. These tests aid the teacher
in understanding both the intellectual and the
emotional equipment of the child. From time
to time, the child will see directors of depart-
ments such as Physical Education, Penmanshi]),
Eye Conservation, as well as other directors and
supervisors who come into the schools to consult
with and assist teachers, always with the better-
ment of the child in mind.
Other services which are a part of our school
system include: classes for handicapped children,
Americanization classes for pupils who are not
citizens, classes in music and art, and classes in
health and safety education. Supervisors in these
special fields likewise enter classes and confer
with teachers on various methods to improve the
curriculum and the standard of teaching.
All these agencies, together with the class-
room teacher, are working every minute to
improve the chances of every child in the schools
to grow up to a richer, fuller life, and to become a
valuable American citizen.
THIS IS THE WAY IT GOES
^ Teacher:; and supervisors stand ready at all times to aid with the
problems of the young student. Here the teacher guides the hand
of the little girl through a difficult movement.
Page Fifteen
p
Qaod cMandAAJi^lUnij, 16. Vital
Good handwriting has always been con-
sidei'od a business as well as a social asset. Pkrly
in Boston histoiy, writing schools were estab-
lishetl for llic education of the young, and Boston
has since then taken pride in tlie good hand-
writing of its children.
For this reason, a si)ecial Penmanship De-
partment functions for the purpose of supervising
the handwriting of pupils throughout the Boston
school system. The special aim of the Penman-
sliip De]mrtment is to teach pupils to write legibly
with a reasonable degree of ease and fluency.
The department assists the grade teachers in
developing a technique in penmanship that will
establish specific writing habits to enable pupils
to show a greater degree of achievement.
Good writing is the result of being able to
follow certain rules, just as accuracy in English
or arithmetic is developed from following rules.
The rules of i^enmanship are few; their objectives
are to ha\-e the same slant for all letters, to
leave enough space between letters, to main-
tain imiform size for all capital as well as lower
case letters, to have the correct shape for each
letter, and finally to develop a reasonable rate of
Sliced to insure fluency.
In the course of the current year about 500
visits were made by the dejjartment, chiefly to
junior high schools. Demonstration lessons were
given to classes visited. In addition, four classes
in penmanship were given at the Teachers Col-
lege to certify prospective teachers and to pre-
sent the methods used to teach penmanship
in our schools. Sixty-eight Teachers College
students were qualified to teach penmanship.
Certificates for excellence in penmanship
were awarded to 3,197 pupils in Grade VIII.
Two teachers already in service were certified to
teach penmanship. To be certified, teachers must
be qualified in penmanship and give a demonstra-
tion lesson.
A BOLD FLOWING HAND
This elementary school boy Is working hard at his penmanship. His
-^ teacher has impressed on him that good penmanship will be impor-
tant to him in whatever he undertakes. In a few years he will get
a certificate for his handwriting to show his competency in the
subject.
Page Seventeen
y
^ei^Vi^ (le4JLeall Man4f. "^UlntfA.
The Department of Educational Investiga-
tion and INIeasurement was introduced into tlie
Boston School System in 1914. Its jirincipal
functions are to assist teachers in the various
schools to know the cliild as an individual, to
discover his particular needs and abilities, to
indicate how he may remedy his deficiencies, and
to help him achieve his place in life by utilizing
his capabilities to the utmost.
To carry out these objectives, the depart-
ment each year measures the children from the
first grade up through the high school. Achieve-
ment tests measure skills and information learned
either in the course of study or from experiences
elsewhere. Aptitude tests are given to predict
future success in occupational fields. Psycholog-
ical tests are designed to diagnose behavior.
To supplement this work, various indixidual
tests are made from time to time at the re(}uest
of principals or teachers. Group Intelligence
Tests are given in Grades I, IV, VI, and \\\\,
as well as in the senior high schools.
The department also works hand in hand
with the various school agencies which need its
particular services. In addition to these tasks,
the department is called on for help by other
agencies. Some of these outside the school sys-
tem itself include the Judge Baker Guidance
Center, the New England Home for Little Wan-
derers, and others. From time to time, the State
Parole Board and various probation officers have
made use of departmental materials.
The work of this department is carried on by
a director and six research assistants.
READ THE INSTRUCTIONS
^ This young lady is preparing to talie one of the many tests admin-
^ istered eoch year to school children from the first grade through
the high school. These tests, scientifically built, aid the teacher in
understanding the varied capabilities of the children.
Page Nineteen
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^^Afoft ^oUt Aai Jlloe, Lf fi^ad Alane
An act of the Massachusetts Legislature
authorizing tlio absence of children from pubHc
schools at cei'taiii times for the purpose of re-
ligious instruction, and prohibiting the ex])endi-
ture of public funds for such education or for
transportation incidental thereto, was ap])i'o\ed
on June 30, 1941.
In 1942, to carry out the provisions of this
law, the School Committee of the City of Boston
set up a Weekday Religious Education Com-
mittee made up of re])resentatives of the A'arious
faiths. Hearty cooperation of all concerned has
made the Boston Weekday Religious Education
Program an outstanding success.
Children are released from school to attend
religious instruction at the written request of the
parent or guardian, who designates the church to
which the child shall go for instruction. For
those children whose parents do not request their
dismissal, programs are arranged in the school.
Such programs include makeup w^ork, assemblies,
library work, guidance, recreational reading, and
the like.
The qualifications of the religious teachers
are left to the responsibility of the individual
faith, as is the curriculum of religious instruction.
During the past year, 23,064 pupils from 70
districts throughout the city took part in this
program. For Grades W , \ , and W, the pro-
gram is city-wide. A few districts do not par-
ticipate because of distance from the church or
inability of the church group to provide the in-
struction. Twelve junior high schools and six
elementary districts with junior high school grades
participate.
Religious denominations which have taken
part in this program include: Albanian Orthodox,
Armenian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Christian
Science, Episcopal, Full Gospel Assembly, Greek
Orthodox, Jewish, Lutheran, Salvation Army,
and Syrian Orthodox.
The marks for work in religious education
are not recorded by the Boston Public Schools.
A report of the attendance of the child at religious
education classes is made to the principal of the
school involved, and any child who drops out of
either the school class or the religious education
class is reported at once to the other. The church
groups are responsible for the disciplme of the
children on the way to the church, during the
instruction, and on the way back to the school.
When religious education is canceled for any
reason, the child remains in school. Dismissal
for religious education is not permitted if the
jilace of instruction is more than ten minutes'
walk, unless transportation is provided by the
particular group concerned.
ALL FAITHS
These youngsters are on the way to a class in religious education
conducted by teachers of their several faiths, in a place desig-
nated by the faith leaders. Approximately a dozen faiths conduct
classes for public school children during school hours, but not it)
school buildings.
Page Twenty-i
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We'n.e QetUn<f. Olden. . . .
By the time a child reaches the junior high
school, he has reached the age wlien he wants to
begin making things. He begins to exhibit
preferences of one kind or another. One boy
iiia>- want to work with his hands; another may
l)ref(>r academic work. It is the particular
function of the junior high scliool to provide
these pupils with a course of study rich enough
to enable them to find out for themselves their
abilities, aptitudes, and tastes.
Exploratory courses in vocational fields are
offered by the junior high schools to help pupils
try out their capabilities with a view to helping
in the selection of their life work. The pupil
gets a great deal of guidance in the choice of
studies and vocational interests.
Naturally, careful consideration is given to
the individual differences of the pupil. Wherever
possible, the work of each pupil in the junior high
school is adapted to his particular needs, whether
he plans to prepare for college, commercial work,
or any one of the many technical and industrial
fields open to the modern high school graduate.
The methods of teaching used in the junior
high school are adapted to the aims of the courses
and are based on the fact that the students are
not merely preparing for usefulness in the future
but are already participating in the life of the
community. By the time the pupil has finished
the junior high school, he usually has an idea of
what he wishes to study in senior high school, and
at the same time has some notion of the type of
work he will pursue as an adult.
SCHOOL'S OUT
These boys and girls are typical of the pupils who attend the junior
■^ high schools of Boston. In these schools they pursue a course of
study to prepare them to select a high school program in line with
their tastes and aptitudes.
Page Twenty-three
^ifei>l<f,lit id. P^ecianA. .
In the course of the rcoulai' scliool work
tVoiii the kiiulcrfiartt'ii on, certain cliiUlrcn are
(lisco\-ere(l to have eye diffieulties which cannot
1)(> coi'rected and ini|)rov(>(l with ordinary treat-
ment. The averafi;e vision of ])U])ils of this type
is about 20 70. (20 20 is perfect.)
In oi'der to ])i<'\'ent these children from
aggra\ating their tiefective eyesight, as might
\-ery well hapjien under ordinary classroom con-
ditions, the Boston Public Schools maintain
conservation of eyesight classes. The purpose of
these classes is to conserve the vision of children
for whom a normal education would be impossible
without the special educational means suited to
their needs.
At the present time there are 15 conserva-
tion of eyesight classes in the Boston Public
Schools. They are located in different sections of
the city. Each class serves as a center for pupils
in the immediate and neighboring districts.
There are two types of classes. In the first
tyjje, the segregated class, the children remain in
one room and receive all their instruction from
the game teacher. In the other, or cooperative
tyi^e, children attend regular classes in social
studies, music, shopwork, and science, and return
to the sjiecial teacher for study which requires
close eye attention. Classes of this kind are
usually limited to 12 pupils. In addition, in
September, 1948, a class was opened for children
having a double handicap: poor vision and an
intelligence rating between 75 and 80. The
normal rating is 90 to 100. As a further aid,
touch typewriting is being taught in all classes
on bulletin typewriters. These are machines with
unusually large letters.
Planned use of the radio in connection with
educational programs broadcast by Station WBZ
has l^een of great value in addition to serving as a
jieriod of eye rest. Furthermore, this year three
junior high school classes were given talking books
l)y the Lions Club of Boston. These machines
have been of great help in English classes, as the
number of books printed in large type and avail-
able to junior high school pupils is limited.
Two conservation of eyesight classes this
year took part in radio broadcasts. One told the
story of eyesight conservation; the other partici-
pated in a safety program.
BIG PRINT IS EASY TO READ
This young lady is working with one of the books especially printed
for pupils with eye difficulties. The print in this book is unusually
large and can be read by pupils without any particular strain.
This type of work enables pupils to keep up with their studies,
which they could not do if they had to use ordinary text books.
Page Twenty-five
'%.
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Naturally, in any lafiic scliodl systoiii liko
Boston's, some rliiidrcn arc louiid to be liandi-
eai)iKHl l)y various kinds of speech defects.
Before the estabHshnient of the si)eech imjirove-
ment classes in 1912, many of tlu^se |)u])ils were
woefully incapable of carrying on their regular
school work. As a result, many of them became
disci])linary cases; others, emotionally upset by
their inability to carry on with their classmates,
became discouraged and left school without
adetjuate iM-eparation to find their proper place in
the adult conmumity.
^^'ith the introduction of speech classes
taught liy teachers trained in the special tech-
ni([ues of this basic work, children every year are
l:)eing aided to overcome their speech difficulties
and at the same time to improve their thought
processes. It should lie noted, in jiassing, that
the Boston Public Schools are nationally recog-
nized for their pioneering in this field.
It is well known by psychologists that speech
difficulties seriously interfere with proper mental
functioning. ( 'onseciuently , the Boston School
Department is making every effort to get children
with speech difficulties into classes at an early
age, because the younger they are, the more
likely they are to respond to treatment.
Sometimes a child may develop a speech
difficulty after he has been in school some time.
When the difficulty is recognized, he is imme-
diately assigned to a class. In this way, children
from the first through the twelfth grades have the
opportunity to attend speech classes and thus to
improve their speech quality, to increase their
power in reading, .spelling, and conversation, as
well as to develop personality and initiative.
LISTEN WHILE I SAY IT
This Boston teacher is working with pupils who have speech handi-
caps of one kind or aroiher. She is speaking into a recording
machine which will register her voice and play it back. Later, the
students will hear what they have said and will compare their
speech with that of the teacher.
Page Twenty-seven
-•
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Watclt Mif 4Zace
111 tlic course of tlie progressina,- of cliildi-cn
tliroiijih tlio grades n mimher of pupils with
liearing (liHiculti(\s are encountered. Naturally,
tliey ai-e liaiulicapiwMl in learninti- with a normal
class. Tlie ner\()us tension of trying to hear
takes its toll of the cliild. In order to arouse
interest and attention in school and outside
activities and restore to the pupil the ability to
understand speech, the Boston School Depart-
ment has provided sjiecial groups known as lij)
reading classes.
Each hard-of-hearing jiupil is an indi\'idual
problem and is given special help for his dis-
ability. Puiiils are assigned to classes according
to their grade and lip reading ability. The work
in these classes is correlated with the course of
study. Scholarship records are kept, to follow
the progress of the pupil in his classroom, and
A-oice and speech corrections are made when
neces.sarv.
For the convenience of these handicai:)ped
children, lip reading centers are located in eight
different schools throughout the city. In addi-
tion, primary children are taught in 26 different
schools, and there were also classes held this
year at the English High School and the Black-
stone Junior High School.
In these li]) reading classes, children are
taught to imderstand spoken language by watch-
ing the face of the speaker. The child is trained
to use his eyes to help his ears. This method is
followed by the use of hearing aids. The majority
of children with hearing handicaps are potentially
normal, and if found early enough and acleciuately
treated, can overcome their handicap. Many
hard-of-hearing pupils have risen above their
handicaps to achieve success in the professions as
well as domg well in business.
The lip reading teachers also work with
pupils referred by hospital clinics and l)y the
Boston Guild for the Hard of Hearing.
WATCH MY LIPS
This instructor is working with children who are hard of hearing.
She is telling them what she will say to them after they have taken
off the hearing aids. In this way, she familiarizes them with the
movement of the lips and with facial expression patterns.
Page Twenty-
\
N^
I
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V
\
We Studif in f^ed, taa
Diirin.ii llic period of ;i child's school life,
illness oi- accident may make it necessary for him
either to i(>main in bed at home or ,<;-o to the
hospital. He may l)e sufferinji,- from tlie effects
of riunnnatic fever, infantile paralysis, or from
some other of the more than seventy diseas(\s
prevalent among- cluklren which will kee)) him
out of the classroom for a pei-iod of more than
two months.
^^'hen a child is thus handicapped for a long-
period of time, it is the practice of the school
principal to call in the Department of Home
Instruction for Physically Handicapped Children.
The aim of this department of the Boston Public
Schools is to provide individual instruction for
such children as may be confined to their homes
or a hospital. This instruction, based upon the
regular program, helps the child keep uj) with his
classmates in school and, in a number of cases, to
graduate with them. From time to time, the
teacher reports on the progress of the child and
the results are duly entered on his school record.
In addition, the department works with
social agencies, schools outside the City of Boston,
parochial schools, and hosjiitals. These services
result annually in the promotion or graduation of
some 800 to 900 pupils whose schooling would
otherwise have been delayed, and whose con-
valescence might also have been retarded because,
in many cases, convalescence is retarded by the
child's fear that he may fall behind his classmates.
Under the circumstances, these children
cannot take such subjects as art, cooking, sewing,
and the like. However, where diploma points are
involved, volunteers from the Massachusetts
School of Art, Simmons and Radcliffe Colleges
have gone directly to the homes or hospitals to
help the children.
BEGIN AT THE TOP
Many children are hurt during the school year and have to go to
■^ the hospital. This little girl is being taught by an instructor pro-
vided by the Boston School Department to help her !(eep up with
her classmates.
Page Thirty-one
L ^
^Ue^ie> H a Plcux> jjO^ Cojen4f>ane
As in the case of the child wlio has speech
difficulties, there naturally will be found in large,
unassorted groups of children, certain individuals
who an^ mentally retarded. The intelligent
teacher will discover this tendency early in the
school history of the child. The Boston Public
Schools recognized the responsibility of the com-
munity for the mentally retarded child by estab-
hshing classes for him as long ago as 1898.
Like the maladjusted child and the child
with speech difficulties, the mentally retarded
child reciuires special handling. The Department
of Special Classes oversees the education of this
type of child. The aim of this department is to
teach the child how to use to best advantage the
power that he has, and thus to become a useful
member of the community and to live a happy
life.
Tlie i)upil is given various tests to determine
the type and quality of work he is capable of
doing. Special attention is given to teaching
the child habits and attitudes which will be
necessary for his normal living in an adult ttorld.
In the junior high school the child recites
in the regular classroom with his teacher. In
other activities such as the vocational shops,
sewing, cooking, woodworkmg, and the like,
pupils work with the regular classes. They also
attend gym classes and take part in various
school contests.
Four centers in various parts of the city
direct the care and teaching of children of high
school age who cannot carry on the work of the
normal class. In addition, four classes for chil-
dren with low intelligence ratings have been in
existence for the past three years; a fifth one
has just been established for children whose
parents cannot travel with them to any of the
other four centers.
Special guidance work is carried on with
these children to enable them to find a place
where they may become self-sufficient and self-
supporting as well. Follow-up workers of the
Special Class Department help them to find jobs.
At the present time pupils trained in
Boston's Special Classes are doing restaurant
work as bus boys and girls, dishwashers, and
counter employees. Stores employ them as order
boys, stock boys, bundle girls, and salesgirls.
Hospitals have found use for many of them in
various categories. Factories, hotels, garages,
etc., also offer jobs which these individuals fill
adequately.
This year a course in tailoring was intro-
duced into two of the Special Class centers. It
is planned to expand these classes later to train
boys for the clothing trades. These children are
also given a regular course in physical education
and health, especially for the improvement of
posture and the development of good health
habits.
PLANTING NARCISSI
. These boys are members of a special class learning about the
■^ planting of flower bulbs. They also engage in other activities
which help equip them to meet the normal social and economic
problems of adult life.
Page Thirty-three
^
tJ^ealtU II 9*np.o^ta4^t
To watch ()\cr I lie lioallli of (he scliool
cliildrcn. their tcachci's, and othcf scliool pcr-
somicl, th(> lioston I'uhlic Scliools have the very
iinpoi-tant Deparliiicnt of School Hygiene.
Woi'kini; undei- the director of this dei)a.rtnient
are 55 re,t>;ular school i)liy.sicians, 59 nurses, a
medical inspector, a sanitary engineer, and a
.sui)ervisor of nutrition. Also, the Department
of School Hygiene has both an eye and an ear
specialist. Tliese two outstanding ])hysicians
work conscientiously witli l)oys and girls with
serious eye or ear defects.
The department functions to lessen, limit,
or eliminate ])hysical defects of school children
that might interfere with their ethicational
development. It also supervises and controls
the sanitation, ventilation, illumination, room
temjjei'ature, humidity, and ])hysical environ-
ment of school buildings. Another important
(hity is to supervise and control health education.
A further responsibility of this department
is 1() cooperate in the admission of pupils to
classes for conservation of eyesight, for lip read-
ing, and for speech improvement. The depart-
ment also gives i^hysical examinations. X-ray
examinations to discover tuberculosis, and audi-
ometer tests for children suspected of being hard
of hearing. It provides classroom teachers with
the eciuipment to test sight and hearing.
A valuable feature of the department is its
coopei'ation with hospitals and clinics for the
correction of i)hysical defects. School niu'ses
visit homes to advi.se i^arents of a child's con-
dition and to check for correction of defects.
The (lei)artment minimizes the occurrence of
communicable diseases l)y keei)ing a sharj) watch
on the health of school children. A keen eye is
kept on the condition of children's teeth, and
l)upils with dental defects are given opportunities
to attend clinics where thev mav be treated.
PRESS DOWN HARD
This is a typical scene in the doctor's office of a Boston school.
^ Children are c:iamined periodically. Changes in height, weight,
and other items are carefully noted on the child's health card.
E=aulty eyesight and hearing as well as dental deficiencies are
called to the attention of the parents.
Page Thirty-five
ipni
Scufjetif. H i^ijien^ifMadifi. >^^d^Vieii
The Boston School Department has a safety
education iirogram recognized as outstanding in
the United States. The purpose of safety edu-
cation is to inculcate lifelong habits of care in the
l)upil so that he may guard against the ever
present threats to life and limb and never en-
danger his own or his companions' safety by any
thoughtless act.
From the earliest kindergarten classes to the
final day of graduation, the ideal of safe living is
a jirimary objective in the education of our more
than 90,000 boys and girls.
In each school buildmg, a safety counselor is
assigned to promote and coordinate safety activi-
ties within his school building. Cooperating with
the safetA^ counselors, a corps of fire counselors,
one in each building, is charged with definite obli-
gations in carrying out fire drill regulations and
fire prevention procedures. Qualified first aiders
have been provided, pupil safety patrols are
directed by more than 150 teacher-patrol super-
visors, and a safety council, representing every
section of the city, acts as an advisory and liaison
group.
The schools work constantly with the Police
Department, the Fire Department, the Traffic
Commission, the Registry of Motor Vehicles, and
other iDublic agencies interested in safety. In
cooperation with the Ml Safety Car of the Police
Deimrtment, traflSc safety programs are held.
\\'(M>kly liroadcasts prepared by teachers and
])upils have been aired for many years.
The Police Department provides traffic cov-
erage at and near school crossings. A lieutenant-
inspector of the Fire Prevention Division of the
Boston Fire Department is assigned to visit
ever\' Boston school.
Every accident involving a pupil or staff
member of the school department is reported.
Provision is made for emergency treatment of
accident cases in each school building, and suit-
able procedure for home contact, dismissal, re-
ferral, escort, and follow-up are maintained.
Safety calendars and seasonal safety bulletins
stress occupational and recreational hazards and
the i^'oper means of i)reventing injury.
Manuals on safety patrols, proper bicycle
operation, fire drill procedure, water hazards, and
dangers in the garden are made available, as are
inspection blanks for elimination of fire hazards
in addition to clean-up bulletins; coasting, skat-
ing, and vacation bulletins; and shop safety
Inilletins for both boys and girls.
Driver education courses for high school
students are an increasingly popular feature of
the safety program of the Boston Public Schools.
WAIT FOR THE SIGNAL
This young man is one of many pupil traffic officers who aid the
■^ regular police at school entrances throughout the city. He is
trained in traffic problems under the Boston Public School Safety
Education Program.
Page Thirty-seven
^^cM'e^ Pnice il j^a/i a/naae duLlel''
Tlic art of the lioiiuMiiakcr is an ancient and
lioiioraltk" one. In the Old Testament, tli(> %oo(\
honieniaker is tle.scrihed in the foiiowinfi; words:
"Siie looketh well to the ways of her
household and
Eateth not the bread of idleness
Her price is far above rubies."
A good homemaker should create in the
home an atmosj^here spiritually uphfting and ar-
tistically satisfying. The very important task of
teaching young girls to become homemakers is
the (hity of the Dejiartment of Household Science
and Arts. This department of the Boston Public
Schools aims to train j^upils in industry, thrift,
and forbearance, all of which conti-ibute to family
unity and democratic ideals.
As a lesult of the training received from this
de|)artment, girls learn to develo)) habits of neat-
ness, accurac\-, safetv, self-reliance, and svstem-
atic procedures. Besides these things, the girls
in household science classes learn techni(|ues in
homemaking and the construction of clothing, as
well as technifjues for other jihases of homemak-
ing which follow naturally in adult life.
In this world of high prices, it sliould l)i' the
aim of every homemaker to handle the family
finances with knowledge and skill. These attri-
butes, also, the department teaches the girls of
the Boston Public Schools and jirovitles, in addi-
tion, training in cooking, sewing, and child care.
A further aim of this type of training is the pro-
motion of creative leadershij) in home and com-
munity life.
Outside the regular work of the classes, the
Department of Household Science and Arts works
hand in hand with the Red Cross and plays a
large part in the success of the Boston Home and
School Association meetings.
THIS IS OUR OWN WORK
The dresses that these girls ore modeling were made in sewing
■^ classes in our Boston Public Schools. Each girl is wearing the dress
she mode herselt. Opportunities for this type of work are avail-
able to school children from the fourth grade on.
Page Thirty-nine
tf% I ' m\
&t4
Milk liuddi ShaMXf. ladled.
Thi-outili a sulisidy of one cent a bottle
liianlcd by the Federal (ioverniiient, Boston
school children are able to buy milk under the
market i^rice. This arrangement is called the
bow Cost Alilk Program.
Milk is one of the i)rincii)al items served in
our Boston Pul)lic Schools cafeterias. With the
introduction of the one-session elementary school
l)ro.siram, instituted in January of this year, the
percentage of ])upils jnu-chasing milk increased
from 39. () i)er cent to 48.7 pei' cent. In January,
1941), the average daily purchase of milk in 229
schools was 44,L57 bottles. Even with tliis figure,
it is aiii)arent that many children bring either
milk or hot cocoa with their home-packed lunch.
Installation of new equipment has improved
the work in several cafeterias this year, but there
is still need of better etiuipment for disliwashing
and food i)rei)aration in many schools, and it is
hoped tliat each year improvements will be made
in this direction. In addition to the improve-
ments noted, cafeterias have been suiii)lied with
educational ]K)sters emphasizing the importance
of good nutrition in maintaining sound health.
IT TASTES GOOD
^ These youngsters are enjoying their lunchtime bottle of milk pur-
chased under the low cost milk program, which enables them to
buy the milk under the market price.
Page Forty-one
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Qaad JlH^^cUed. Make Qaad PufUll
One of the very important fnnctions of the
Boston School Department is to see to it that the
children have proper luncheons while they are in
school. This particular jirogram is the concern
of the Department of School Lunches.
It is the aim of this department to serve
liiiihly nutritious huiches at the lowest possible
cost so that many children may benefit by our
school feeding program. The department is also
responsilile for the maintainmg of cafeteria
kitchens ui)on the highest sanitary standards.
Cafeterias have continued to serve the com-
plete meal, the pattern for which was established
b}- the United States Department of Agriculture
in 1943. The meal contains one third to one half
of the daily nutritional requirements of the boy or
girl.
Many foods purchased by the Department of
Agriculture of the United States under the Na-
tional School Lunch Act were provided free of
charge during the past year in the ^•arious lunch-
rooms of the schools and aided materially in
maintaining the policy of this department to
serve meals with high nutritional value.
In addition to getting actual work experience,
student helpers in the various cafeterias are
furnished free meals. In the current year these
meals had a total value of $12,875.75.
LUNCH TIME, A WELCOME INTERLUDE
This scene in a Boston school cafeteria is characteristic of the
^ many school cafeterias located throughout the city. Note the at-
tractive display of the foods prepared under the direction of the
Department of School Lunches. In most of the lunchrooms, attend-
ants are assisted by pupils who get free lunches for their services.
Page Forty-threa
9t^ ^un ia Ae <Jtealtkif. .
Ill keei)ing with the philosoi)hy of education
which recosiiiizes the need of physical as well as
iiitcnectual and moral devclopniciit, pui)ils in the
i^oston Public Schools arc offered courses in
l)h,\sical education from the kindergarten through
the hitih school. In genei'al, the program pro-
\id(>s for ^•igor()Us normal growth through a wide
lange of activities including fre(> and individual
|)lay, ganu^s and sports, dancing, and military
Through the medium of their various activi-
ties, children learn cooperation, social sensitivity,
leadershij:), and the sense of belonging to the
group. Also, they learn to develoj) interest, joy,
and satisfaction in sports, games, and other
wholesome recreational activities which they will
emi)loy in adult life for the ];)roper use of leisure
time.
In the Boston Public Elementary Schools
si)ecial attention is given to the develojiment of
good posture. Last March, for examj^le, the
second week of the month was designated as
"(Jood Posture Week." This excellent innova-
tion brought great ijrofit to the children.
The junior high school program includes
gymnastic exercises, marching, dancing, games,
and remedial techniciues for posture. In addi-
tion, an after-school program of games and sports
is offered to both boys and girls under the direc-
tion of play teachers.
In the high schools, i^hysical education offers
girls a schedule of supervised free play, exercises,
marching, dancing, and posture-improvement
exercises. In general, the high schools offer three
periods a week in physical education, and the
junior high schools offer two periods.
ROUND AND ROUND WE GO
This picture shows elementary school children engaged in a mass
■^ demonstration ot physical education dances for the purpose of
developing good posture. Note the interested parents in the back-
ground. The teacher in the foreground is directing the activity.
Page Forty-five
11 H .H !V il ii
CamfteiUlcfje Spjon.t ^eaoked^ ^emocn.ac4f . . .
For lioys ii: the Boston Public High Schools,
ih(> Dc^partnient of Physical Education offers a
prosi'rani which progresses naturally from the
junior liigli school level. This program is sup-
plemented by extensi\'e after-school athletic
activities to reach the objective of complete
pliysical and mental development of all pupils,
liecently, through the George Robert White
Fund, a sclioolboy stadium has been completed.
Designefl to provide the best possible facilities
for several competitive sports, this new Boston
stadium has alread.y been described as the most
complete and attractive scholastic athletic center
in the United States.
Athletic contests at all levels are under the
direction of competent officials and coaches, and
a doctor is present at all times.
Military science is a reciuired subject for
boys in Grades IX through XII, unless they are
excused by a doctor for physical disability. One
period is for military drill; the other, for instruc-
tion in some phase of military tactics or pro-
cedure. Annual prize drills are held in the
various schools during May and June. From
this competition, officers are chosen to head the
regiments and battalions in the annual schoolboy
parade which, this year, was held on June 6, 1949.
The several schools provide their own music in
the form of bands and drum and bugle corps
instructed by the Department of Music.
The Department of Physical Education also
supervises the operation of playgrounds in the
spring and summer months. To assure the
greatest efficiency in conducting plaj-ground
activities, the department holds an annual Play-
ground Institute at the Teachers College, to
instruct the more than 300 playground leaders in
new techniques.
AROUND THE END
This picture shows the annual classic football game between the
Boston Latin School and English High School teams. This is the
oldest schoolboy football series in the country. All Boston Public
Schools athletic contests are directed by the Department of Physi-
cal Education.
Page Forty-seven
■B— ■— pi I i > m .1* -^ r 0 I f^^T"
J^cua l4Je'^ in cMlcfA ScUoal
si\o and xaricd cmIi
both the individual
llu' city's children,
tiiffcrcncos in in(clli_<>,(
avocational inteirsts
Boston's liiii'li schools provide n ('oni|)rehen-
;itional i)roj2;rain to meet
id tlie ooniinon needs of
idividual needs arise from
•c, aptitudes, personal and
emotional stability, and
ph.ysical health. Common needs include good
health, ethical values, a knowledge of good
citizenship, sound thinking, the ability to earn a
living, an awareness of economic conditions, and
an appreciation of the spiritual and material
characteristics of American civilization.
The 22 high schools of the city's school
sj'stem offer many kinds of courses, including
college prejiaration, a special Teachers College
course, commercial and industrial training for
both boys and girls, and a general course.
Individual differences are provided for by a
wide selection of electives in the various courses
of study; recjuired subjects meet the common
needs of all pupils. Different methods of instruc-
tion and materials, as well as varied forms of
achievement, are employed in the several courses
of studj% which are adapted in so far as is possible
to the individual differences of the pupils. At
present every high school course is being sur-
veyed with a view to the clearer defining of
minimum essentials.
In social study classes this year the struggle
between government by compulsion, as exem-
plified by totalitarianism, and government by
consent, as exemjilified by democracy, has been
carefidly explained in view of the world situa-
tion. The testing program in ail sul),jects has
also been enlarged and broadened in scope. In
the speech improvement classes new techniques
\\2,\Q been introduced with great success. A
new course in meteorology ai)d navigation has
been made available to seniors in advanced
mathematics.
Other features of Boston's high school ])ro-
gram include the sponsoring of various groups
such as dramatic, English, photographic, journal-
ism, forum, foreign language, science and mathe-
matics, chess and checkers, and Red Cross clubs.
Most of these organizations do their work out-
side of school hours and so are included in the
extracurricular activities.
A large number of scholarshii)s and financial
aid grants are available to i)upils in the various
high schools. For every outstanding student,
the headmaster and the School Committee try
to find some endowment or scholarship to assist
such a worthy indi\N'dual in securing a higher
education.
It is gratifying to add that Boston's high
schools have earned the highest rating by impar-
tial authorities, and that the products of these
secondary schools are continuing to make excel-
lent records in higher institutions of learning as
well as in the business world. One evidence of
such gratifying results is that annually many of
the high school boys and girls of the city are
inducted into membership in various chapters of
the National Honor Society of the Secondary
Schools of the United States.
ENTER TO GROW IN WISDOM
^ This is a typical Boston Public High School building where both
boys and girls study. Boston also has several all boys and all girls
schools in various parts of the city.
Page Forty-nine
Wlud Wdl Be % Place in tU WoM. ?.
Tho ideal of education is that eaeli eliild
should {^-entually lind a |)lace for himself in the
woild, in aecordanee with his ambitions and
abilities. To help make this ideal a reality, the
Hoston Public Schools early recognized the need
foi- individual guidance of children and so estab-
hshed the Department of Vocational Guidance in
1!)10.
In the first years of school, the child receives
eilucational guidance from his classroom teachers.
As the child progresses, he begins to meet more
complex educational and vocational problems.
Thus the guidance needs of the elementary school
child are very difTerent from those of the high
school pupil.
The heart of the guidance program is indi-
\idual counseling. In general, boys and girls
like to talk over their jiroblems with older people.
If the older i)erson is a trained, sympathetic
counselor, the problem is much more easily
handled. Guided by scientific tests and data on
the intellectual and emotional ciualities of the
child, the counselor may help solve problems
which would be impossible for the child to solve
by himself.
The problems w'hich beset high school pupils
especially are not entirely those of the classroom
or even the choice of a vocation. Frequently the
counselor is of help when environmental problems
are encountered.
At present full-time counselors are on duty
in every high school. Last year in senicjr iiigh
schools of the city 56,316 interviews were con-
ducted by counselors. These interviews helped
to ])revent failures and the conseciuent costly
repetition of grades. They also acted as morale
builders, because the counselor's work obviously
makes for better relations between pupils and
teachers as well as between home and school.
Considerable guidance work is also done in
our junior high schools, although not on so
extensive a basis as in senior high schools, for
evident reasons. In this connection, a 15-hour
course on junior high school guidance was offered
this year at the Teachers College to teachers in
service.
One of the duties of the Dei)artment of
Vocational Guidance is to aid graduates of our
schools to find positions commensurate with their
ambitions and abilities. At present jobs are
scarcer. However, the members of the staff are
making every effort to find work for our grad-
uates. They are making personal appeals to
employers by telephone and letter as well as by
interviews. Total permanent placements for the
year 1948 reached 1,922; temporary placements
were 1,345; part-time placements were 1,987.
Members of the staff are now working on the
one-year follow-up study of the graduating class
of 1948. This study, made annually, is of con-
siderable assistance to counselors in their adA^sing
of prospective graduates.
YOU CAN DO IT
The young man in this picture, a Boston Public Schools graduate,
^ Is talking with a Vocational Guidance Counselor about a position
to which the Guidance Counselor is sending him after making a
study of his qualifications. The chart behind the counselor shows
the various courses of study offered by the Boston Public Schools.
Page Fifty-one
/
^
^ y ^
We GAje tUe MuUc Mah^eM . .
Love of music is almost universal among the
young as well as the old. In recognition of tliis
interest, music was introduced into the course of
stud}' in the Boston Public Schools verj' early in
their history. The child begins his study of
music in the kindergarten or first grade and
continues it througli the high school. Music
instruction is also given at the Teachers College.
Professional instructors in music are avail-
able for children in every branch of music study,
both instrumental and choral. Class lessons on
musical instruments are offered as early as the
foiu-th grade and are continued through the high
school. Tlie Boston Public School Symphony
Orchestra and Symphony Band offer an outlet
for pupils who are particularly proficient. These
advanced groups, drawn from the whole school
system, rehearse after school hours in centrally
located schools. During the year each of the
symi)liony groups gives at least one concert at
Joi-dan Hall. Other outlets for musically inclined
children are the school orchestras, bands, and
glee clubs at elementary, junior high, and senior
high school levels.
Vocal nuisic is com])ulsory in Grades I to IX
and is an elective for i)upils in Grades X to
XII.
The Department of Music also cooperates
with tlie Boston Symphony Orchestra by arrang-
ing for ])upils to attend its concerts and by pre-
l)aring a special chorus of school children to sing
at one of the Youth Concerts. It cooperates with
A'cterans' organizations by supplying bands and
drum corps for parades and other military
cei-emonies. It also contributes talent for Home
and Scliool Association meetings, conventions,
and the like.
In general, the music curriculum aims to
enrich tlie child's life through contact with the
best in music, and thus to inculcate ideals that
will serve as guides to personal and social growth.
It further aims to impart knowledge and develoj)
skills that will enable the child to take ])art in
musical activities. Another worth-while aim of
this curi'iculum is to increase a desire for good
music and a distaste for poor music.
ALL TOGETHER NOW
These boys are members of on instrumental class, a number of
which are held in Boston schools under the direction of the De-
partment of Music. Choral Music is also a feature of the course
of study. Some of these students will play in the Boston Public
Schools Symphony Orchestra, which performs annually at Jordan
Hall.
Page Fifty-three
f
#5
V
■^'-
*
^
/I^t II jjO^ CuLen4f.I^<idif,
III marked contrast to tlio past, today's art
(Hlueators tVel that "Art is for Everybody."
K\en in tlu^ elementar.y schools the emphasis is
phiccd on developing the creative talent of the
cliild. The young child loves to create and takes
great delight in the opportunity to illustrate both
his school and home experiences. Encouraged
by the teacher, this creative instinct increases in
power and the child's work begins to show imagi-
nation, enterprise, and originality.
The accomplishments of the art students in
the Boston Public Schools indicate excellent
teaching and a thoroughly planned course of
study. In the junior and senior high schools, art
education is under the direction of special art
teachers who carry on the work begun in the
elementary schools. In addition, the course em-
phasizes art as an appreciation study, the way art
affects other life situations, its use in everyday
life, and its place in the community.
A number of talented pupils from our high
schools attend art classes at the Boston Museum
of Fine Arts three times a week during the school
year. The City of Boston pays for the instruc-
tion and furnishes the art material used. The
Museum of Fine Arts provides the students with
work rooms. It is of distinct advantage to
students to be able to work in the environment of
great artists, both past and present.
Children of Grades V through IX are afforded
an opportunity for special training in art on
Saturday mornings at the Institute of Contem-
porary Art. This complements the work done
at the Museum of Fine Arts for the older children.
The art work of the Boston Public School
children was exhibited this year at the Eastern Arts
Convention at the Hotel Statler and at the Mas-
sachusetts Regional Scholastic Arts Awards
Exhibit. Two hundred gold keys were awarded
to students exhibiting, and the winning work was
sent to Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, for final
judging.
To stimulate further interest in art, the
Museum of Fine Arts sponsors an essay contest
each year, open to students in English, history,
and art classes of our junior and senior high
schools. Boston and Cambridge museums also
sponsor treasure hunts to encourage students to
visit the exhibits and to search for and draw,
paint, or model some object which appeals to
them.
Another activity in which the art classes of
the schools engage with great enthusiasm is the
Junior Red Cross program. Boston pupils also
provided and distributed various objects made in
art classes to hospitalized veterans and children.
Braille book covers were made for the blind.
The importance of art education as basic in
all schools is generally recognized by educators
todaj'. In this connection it is gratifying to
note that a course in art has recently been in-
troduced in the Girls' Latin School.
YOUNG BOSTON LOOKS AT ANCIENT
EGYPT
These girls are art students in the Boston Public Schools. By ar-
rangement with the Museum of Fine Arts a number of our students
attend classes there three times a week.
Page Fifty-five
SUa^fL Cif&l OH^d Skilled <Jtand6.
Tlir Citv ol' I^ostdii Ikis always been famous
1(11- tli('jii,ii,('iiuity of its people and for their fine
woik ill industry. Ami since Boston lias always
lieeii a nation-\vid(> leader in industry, it is only
littiiiii' that the School Department devote a
iicnerous part of its hudj^ct to the teacliins;' of
wiiat is known today as industrial arts.
Training in industrial arts is a jihase of the
genei'al education program which orients in-
dividuals in the technical industrial aspects of
lil'(> in a democratic society. It is apparent that
the continuance of our present way of life depends
in givat i)art on the maintenance^ of industrial
progress. Scientihc and technical knowledge is
h(Mng applied so rapidly and so widely that it is
difficult to say what new products we may enjoy
in the future. It is likewise obvious that some
of the pupils in our schools, presumably the ones
who are so inclined, must be prepared to take
their places as proficient workers in industrj-.
It is the duty of the Department of Industrial
Arts to carry on the training of these pupils.
Industrial arts training begins in the ele-
mentary school at the Grade W level. Here
pui)ils begin with simple mechanical drawing and
box making. In Grade V, the boy learns simple
bookbinding and makes calendars, photo frames,
and book covers. The goal in both of these
grades is good work habits and control for skill.
In Grade AT, boys are at the age when nor-
mally they want to build things. At this point,
woodworking is introduced. This is the first of
the exploratory courses in which boys interested
in working with their hands have the opportunit.y
to investigate their preferences and aptitudes for
^■arious types of work.
In the junior high school, particularly in
Grades VH and VHI, the boy will meet other
exploratory courses in sheet metal, printing, and
electricity, as well as more woodworking. These
activities present a challenge to the growing, in-
telligent boy. ^Moreover, they provide a wider
field for knowledge, more related work, and the
development of greater skill with moi'e difficult
work standards. It is in tliese shops that the
boy who is preparing for vocational trahiing
learns what he can best do, and so is able to make
a wiser choice of a Grade IX shop. Here he will
test himself still further to make certain that he
is making the correct and intelligent selection.
During the school year just completed, shop
classes in Grades VII, VIII, and IX increased
their enrollment by 10 per cent. In the high
schools, shop-pupil enrollment remained about
the same in the cooperative-industrial courses
despite the fact that placements "on the job"
were more difficult to maintain than last year.
In this type of shop the boy goes to school for
l^art of the time and for the remainder of the time
works in an industrial shop where he receives
payment for his work. Usually, the boy is in
school one week and m the sho]) a week at a
time. This >'ear the number of boys emi)lo.yed
averaged about 90 \)^x cent of all possible ])Iace-
ments.
Another phase of the industrial arts program
is the teaching of agriculture at the Jamaica Plam
High School. This year the number of pupils
electing such training mcreased about 30 i>er
cent. During the summer many of these boys
were placed on farms, in dairies, or in garden
work. Many more pupils worked on home and
school gardens.
The important function of training teachers
for the industrial arts courses is now a part of the
program at The Teachers College of the City of
Boston. Academic studies are pursued at the
college building under direction of the college
faculty. The shop work is done at the Parkman
School under the skilled eyes of teacher-trades-
men. Furthermore, in accordance with the wish
of the Superintendent to improve instruction and
curricula, members of the department are ad-
dressed at regular intervals by the Director, with
a view to the mamtaining of the highest ])ossible
efficiency in the use of progressive techniciues.
A FUTURE CABINET MAKER
This young man is studying carpentry and cabinet making in a co-
^ operative sliop ot the Boston Public Schools. Although he is learn-
ing an ancient art, he hos all the modern equipment at his disposal.
Notice the rocks of modern tools behind him. Bench work forms a
major part of the program.
Page Fifty-seven
^
"S
^Jie that cMatk a ^n^ade cMatU an ^'Ucde'^ .
In addition lo I lie coopcrat ixc industrial
courses s;i\("ii in the \arious liij;ii schools of the
city, I5oston has trade lus.-h scliools for both l)()ys
and girls.
At tlie Trade High School for Boys, courses
in the following tratles are offered: airplane serv-
ice, autonioliile mechanics, cabinet making, car-
l^entry, drafting, electrical work, machine shop
l)ractiee, painting and decorating, welding and
forging, pluinlting, i)i'inting, radio, and sheet
metal work.
The course of study includes the ordinary
academic subjects as well. Instruction in both
academic ami technical branches is of a specific
character antl is designed to increase the indi-
vidual's vocational and civic efficiency.
On graduation the Trade High School i)U])il
has an oi)portunity for i)lacement in industry at
the same trade for which he was i)repared.
The Trade High School for (Jirls offers two-
and three-year courses in catering, to train i)upils
for employment in food preparation and service;
commercial art; dressmaking; dress designing
and pattern drafting; and millinery. Girls wdio
complete the dressmaking ' course may receive
training in tailoring and fur work. Another
favorite course is that which prepares girls to
work in beauty shops after they have passed the
examination given by the State Registration
Board.
In addition, part-time cooi}erative courses in
tailoring and in food trades are offered to bo3's
who have reached their sixteenth birthday. Sixty
per cent of the pupil's time is devoted to definite
vocational training on a productive shop basis.
20 per cent is given over to related technical in-
struction such as shop mathematics and shop
science, and 20 per cent is devoted to general
education — English, history, citizenship, and
similar subjects. There is also a program in
physical education.
NEW HAIRDO
■^ This young lady is working on one of her fellow students in the
class at Trade High School for Girls which prepares girls to work
in beauty shops.
Page Fifty-nine
Ii i I i
.^m
^- — i
J
KM:M
^onU Jiaak at Uie ICetfl
It is only iKit
ity like Hoston
ilucatioii. There
inl that a leadin^t;- eonuiKM'eial
lioiild emphasize coinmereial
;ii'e inaii\' ijositions available
to high school graduates skilled in the techniques
of office and business practice. Each year the
leading commercial houses in Boston, such as
hanks, insurance companies, and shipping com-
jianies, absorb into their organizations many
Boston Public High School graduates.
The commercial course in the high schools of
the City of Boston aims to develop skill in the
techniciue and the mechanical details of each
special subject. Furthermore, it correlates the
special subject with others in the curriculum, as
well as broadening the scope of civic responsibilit}-
and social relationships and inculcating high
ideals of service.
Subjects offered in the commercial course
in all district high schools as well as in two large
central high schools include bookkeeping, com-
mercial geography, commercial law, office prac-
tice, shorthand, typewriting, English, physical
education, a foreign language, and penmanship.
In addition, the Boston Clerical School and the
High School of Commerce provide highly special-
ized training to prepare for careers in business.
Pupils taking the college courses in various
schools are finding it profitable to take typing if
they can fit it into their programs. More and
more college instructors are demanding that
weekly and term papers be typewritten; hence
even a single year of typing is of great advantage
to a girl or boy when he or she gets to college.
THE BASIC OFFICE MACHINE
These young Igdies are practising typing in a class in one of our
■^ Boston Public High Schools. More and more, even boys and girls
who are going to college are taking typewriting as an aid to
faster, more legible communication.
Page Sixty-i
• f s
.v^k
We lea^it to- Sell . . .
One (if the distinctive si'ivic(>s dfiVrcd l)y tlie
Boston Public ScliooLs to its pupils is the course
called cooperative retailing. In this course,
I)U])ils are taught the fundamentals of ri^tail
selling and get practical experience in sho])s and
stores on part-time jobs. This year 135 seniors,
an increase of 44 over the previous year, took the
course. All those who completed the i)rogram
and who wished full-time work are now working.
During the past year this course was given
at the following high schools: Dorchester High
School- for Girls, East Boston High School,
Jamaica Plain High School, Practical Arts High
School, and Roxbury ^Memorial High School for
Girls. The course is administered in such a way
that the City of Boston is reimbursed for the cost
of the program by the Federal Government.
Applications for the course for the school
year of 1949-50 indicate that a larger number of
jnii^ils wish to take the course in order to make
themselves eligible for the jiart-time jobs avail-
able through the program. It should be pointed
out that these part-time jobs are decreasing in
number as a result of the present trend m business.
General Salesmaxship Program
In addition to the cooperative program, a
general course in salesmanship is taught in 15
schools. This year 1,451 juniors and seniors
were enrolled in 23 classes. Fr(jm these classes
769 ])Ui)ils worked in 39 stores during the i)re-
Christmas season. Beginning in the fall (jf this
3'ear the City of Boston will be reimbiu-sed for
pre-Ghristmas training given Boston pupils in
general salesmanship classes. This plan has re-
sulted from a formula worked out by tlie Director
of Distributive Education in cooperation with
the State Supervisor of Distributive Education.
An additional feature of this distributive
education program is the training of adults for
positions as store supervisors and department
heads. Although the stores have acce]:)ted the
new arrangement of material favorably, the pro-
gram has been hampered by the lack of trained
part-time instructors.
During the year a committee from the per-
sonnel group of the Retail Trade Board coo])erated
with our schools to obtain surplus materials from
stores to be used in teaching salesmanship. Dis-
play forms, fabric samples, training manuals,
surplus record forms, and the like were collected
and turned OAcr to the schools. This t}'pe of
material helps make class work much more
dynamic and realistic.
AND WHAT IS YOUR ADDRESS?
The young lady behind the counter is a salesgirl educated by the
Boston Public Schools in its courses in Distributive Education. In
addition to her regular classroom instruction in salesmanship, she
did actual work on the job after school hours. The graduates of
this course find positions in the stores and shops of the city.
Page Sixty-three
I >-.!,.,
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\
^
^MjihMim
I^CAAJL WaiMd. ia Qanq^uen. . . .
Iiitrlli.nciit {'liildfcii nic curious cliilclren. And
as tlu'V lirow older and nioic observant, tliey
l)(\uin to ask ((uestions al)out the natural objects
surrounding' thcui. Keco,ii;nizin<>; this, the Boston
School Department provides instruction in science
e\en in the elementary schools.
Here the children learn about the sky, the
weather, jilants, flowers, animals, and other natm-al
oi)jccts. This instruction is supplemented by
li(4d trips to museums and parks like Franklin
Park, to the zoo and the aciuarium. Even though
the children are city-bred, they learn about the
planting of flowers and plants and the care of
animals which may become pets.
When thej' reach the junior high school,
l)ui)ils begin to learn how scientific knowledge
affects their daily lives. They learn about the
contributions which electricity, for instance, has
made to modern living, and in learning about
these various scientihc advances, they learn to
adapt themselves naturally to the use of these
things.
At the high school level, the students take
courses in specialized sciences, like chemistry,
physics, biology, and astronomy, to enable them
to understand the advances that these studies
have brought to the way of life in the modern era.
Students interested in research may learn its
techni([ues in the well-equipped laboratories which
the high school system furnishes, and may go on
to higher studies in this type of work with a firm
foundation in the sciences.
The annual Science Fair, sponsored b,y the
Superintendent, attracts many students wdiose
ambitious projects draw the attention not only
of the press, but of scientific societies as well.
The Science Fair of 1949 attracted unusuallj'
large groups of interested spectators, old and
young alike.
MICROSCOPE TECHNIQUE
^ These science students are learning how to use the microscope in
a Boston high school science class. They will use this knowledge
later on as laboratory technicians in hospitals and in industry.
Page Sixty-five
J^e
We Jlean^^ ^OfH Afaaled. , . .
Ill these progressive days, every effort is
being made to make education more effective.
A\ailahl(> to schools ev(Mywhere now are materials
and aids which tend to make learning more con-
crete and at the same time more memorable.
It is the work of the Department of A'isual
and Radio Education to increase the availability
of the various grajihie and sound materials to
the Boston School System and at the same time
to promote the wider use of newly introduced
instructional tools, which are valuable only when
they are proi^erly used. It is, moreover, the
responsibilit}^ of this dej^artment to see to it
that the i^urchase, distribution, and use of audio-
visual aids are both effective and economical.
There was a time when children looked upon
the use of motion pictures in the assembly hall
or e^-en in the classroom as mere entertainment.
This is no longer the case. Now these various
means of making the lesson richer and more con-
crete are considered a vitalizing supplement to
the instruction by the teacher.
Both silent and sound films, dealing with
physical geography, commercial geography, litera-
ture, art, science, and even mathematics, are now
available to teachers throughout the Boston
Public Schools through the medium of the
Department of Visual and Radio Education.
EASY DOES IT, NOW
These boys are learning to run this moving picture projector as
-^ aids to the teacher who handles the projection of motion pictures
and slides in assembly programs and classroom work. A great
many films ore used in modern teaching, especially in the junior and
senior high schools.
Page Sixty-seven
II
at
We Jlea/m piam l^adia^ too- .
MoifON ( r, uiidor Ihc direction of tlic J-Jadio
Coordinator, many i)U])ils interested in radio work
as a career oi- liohhy liave frequent opportunity
to take i)art in actual broadcasts over several
Hostdu radio stations.
In the scliools, radio clubs headed by skilled
teachers ha^•e aided in si:)eech work as well as in
radio presentation. This type of work is enjoyed
by children e^•e^ at the elementary school level.
These radio workshoi)s ha\e also aided in
bringing the work of the schools before the listen-
ing ])ublic as well as in training students in valu-
able techniques. News broadcasts written and
delivered by our school children have been given
over such stations as WHDH, WMEX, and
WORL. In prospect is a series of jjrograms for
in-school listening. Programs would be broad-
cast during school hours, to be heard in the class-
rooms or assembly halls.
Several of the radio featiu'es developed by
the Boston Public Schools have been used as
imtterns by school systems in other parts of the
United States — a tribute to the enterprise and
the cooperativeness of our teachers and pupils.
MAGIC AIRWAYS
These girls are listening to a radio broadcast dealing with geog-
^ raphy in the modern world. This broadcast supplements the work
they have already done in their classrooms. More programs of
this type are planned for the coming year.
Page Sixty-n
"^
J!.ean>4i4yt^ Outd^idU the CladAAao^n
More and more in this modern age adults
are faced with \\w ])roblem of what to do with the
increased leisure time gained as a result of a
shorter working week. This i)robIem is solved to
a great extent during the school life of Boston
children through the medium of extracurricular
activities in both the junior and senior high
schools.
Through such activities, children learn to
develop hobbies which may last for the remainder
of their li^'es. Boston has been in the forefront
in this type of education. For example, our
schools have for many years conducted a well-
integrated program of both major and minor
sjjorts for girls as well as boys. At the present
time, boys and girls engage in such minor sports
as hocke}', basketball, golf, and swimming, in addi-
tion to the major sports of baseball and football.
Other activities which attract a great manj^
pupils, especially in the high schools, are dramat-
ics, school journalism, and literary clubs. Sev-
eral schools have chess and checker clubs in
addition to the radio, stamji, science, photo-
graphic, and traA'el clubs.
Debating and jxiblic forum activity are
among the most widely followed extracurricular
interests. Most of the high schools have de-
bating clubs which compete with other schools in
the system, as well as with clubs from other cities
and towns. Open forums are held in all the high
schools about five times a year. A number of
these forums are broadcast to the listening pub-
lic over Boston radio stations. This activity
includes the Junior Town Meeting of the Air,
which has a large listening audience.
Still another type of activity is student
government. This project trains pupils in their
obligations as student citizens and prepares them
in some part for adult citizenship. Each year,
also, pupils of the Boston Public Schools engage
in the Junior Red Cross Program.
Assembly programs to celebrate various holi-
days during the school year are valuable for the
training they give to participants, as well as for
the enjoyment they afford the spectators. This
work naturally supplements and is coordinated
with the work being done in music and speech.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
One of the bright foeefs of the Boston Public Schools program is
■^ the number of extra-curricular activities which are sponsored in
the schools throughout the system. After-school and in-school work
done outside the classroom aids the child in rounding out his per-
sonality. This dramatic production is typical of such activities.
Page Seventy-
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BEST
GRAO
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BEST
RADE VIII
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GRADE VII
2^-:.,-i^
WUif. Aren't l/fau in ScUooi? . . .
Every tcaclKM- knows that an absent child
eaiinot lu> tau.iihJ. \\\ \\\v same token the ehihl
eannot ke(>]) up with his chiss. Moreover, in
lioston as in e\ (mv other community, non-
atten(laiic(> at school is a serious problem in every
grade from the kind(>rgarten through the high
school. We lia\e seen how the Boston Public
Schools provide S])ecial instruction for the child
who is absent because of prolonged illness. The
child who is absent for other causes, however,
l)resents a different case.
The habitual truant is regarded as a social
problem. ( 'onsecjuently, a ])roper diagnosis of
the cause of the truancy may reveal the possi-
bility of making some adjustment that will
jirevent the child from becoming a delinquent.
It is the function of the Department of
Attendance to see to it that children and parents,
as well as employers, obej' the compulsory school
laws. Working on this i^roblem, the department
operates in various ways. In the first place,
where absence or truancy develops, it is the dutj'
of the attendance supervisor to interpret the
school to the home. In other words, he or she
explains the aims of the school with regard to
the future well-being of the child, pointing out
that in this modern age education is a vital
necessity for ever.y child.
The supervisor studies the problem care-
fully to discover the true cause of nonattendance
or truancy, with a view to lessening or removing
the cause of the absence or truancy. In doing
this, the supervisor is in touch with all other
school agencies as well as with community wel-
fare organizations. He attends court hearings,
aids in finding employment, interviews court and
probation officers, investigates employment certifi-
cates, and makes evening calls on parents and
employers to explain employment requirements
for minor children.
In the course of their daily w'ork, the super-
visors visit public places like theaters, pool
rooms, railroad stations, and the like, to inter-
view children w'ho may not be in school.
WE LIKE SCHOOL
^ The spirit of competition among children is an aid to good at-
tendance. Boston Public Schools develop the spirit of rivalry to
improve and maintain good attendance among the pupils.
Page Seventy-three
t
/7 yVe^ Paint a^ Vleiu
Tlu' <i:eneral puiposc of tlic M. (lertnule
(lodviii School is (o discoNci' and put into effect
heller procetlures for ineetin<i; tlie needs of
hoys wiio have been found to l)e in conflict with
th(> noimal social attitude of the pupil from the
a,a;es of eight to sixteen. The specific aim of the
school is to rebuild the attitude of the boys toward
school and society alike.
The program of the school discovers the
sjiecial i^roblems or disabilities of the child. Reme-
dial work begins along these lines. All materials
foi- learning are made as objective and concrete
as i)ossible. Considerable effort is made to ascer-
tain tlie i)robable vocation of the boy and to teach
what will be valuable in that field. In addition,
nnich attention is given to character trainmg, on
the ground that the de\'elopment of industry, ini-
tiative, courage, and perseverance is of infinitely
more value to the boy than is the mere abilit.y to
get high marks.
The guidance program of the Godvin School
has been adapted to meet the special type of pujiil
who comes to the school. The boy is taught to
know himself — his strong and weak points. Job
placement and follow-up work are also features
of the school. In general, the school is vocational
in character, but each boy takes some academic
work which is correlated with the vocational
studies in which he is interested.
Two types of pupils attend this school: full-
time pupils, and Continuation School boys who
attend part time and are employed in business or
industry the remainder of the time.
A TAILOR HE WOULD BE
This boy is studying tailoring at the Godvin School. He plans to
'^ enter the clothing trades later on. Many other vocational shops
are to be found in this school. Special emphasis is put on char-
acter development for the boys.
Page Seventy-five
'iMi^^
*.fi
1^
IdJe Itao-e PnaLle^nl
III ('\'c'ry school system llircc lo live ])('!' coiit
of I he i)ui)ils ])ri's(_-nt iiuliviclual prohleins of inal-
ad.justniont in wliich the emphasis is on some
uiulesii-able as])ecl of i)ersoiiality or beliavior
rather than on school achievement. These i)rol)-
l(^ms include aggressive or destructive social
attitudes, emotional disturbances, or other t^'pes
of antisocial behavior. These ])r()blenis may be
comj^licated by home conditions or h\ a school
situation related to the problem as it is observed
in the school.
^laladjusted children cannot take full advan-
tage of the benefits of the education the City of
Boston is offering them. In a numb(M- of cases
they are developing i^ersonality traits which may
lead them into trouble as adults. ^Moreover, their
presence in regular school classes creates addi-
tional i)i'ol)lems for teachers, jirincipals, and other
students.
It is the fvuu'tion of the Division of Juvenile
Adjustment to studv such a child in the school or
in his environment at home, to try to discover
what is causing the maladjustment, and then to
adopt corrective means to minimize or eliminate
the problem entirely. This is done by conferring
with the teacher, principal, guidance counselor,
and other school personnel; b»y talks with the
child himself in school or at home; through testing
and other techniques carried on by the clmical
])sychologist of the division. In addition, the
division works cooperatively with medical and
psychiatric clinics, with church groups, as well as
with a great number of social agencies and with
other community organizations.
Much interpretive work is done in visits to the
parents at home in an effort to find out why the
child is acting as he is. These and many other
techniques are used to help the child, and also to
help the school deal with the child and the problem
he presents.
HOME. SCHOOL. AND CHILD
This picture shows a parenf and a Boston teacher discussing with
■^ a child a problem which has developed as a result of a misunder-
standing. Many children have problems of adjustment to environ-
ments of one kind or another. Frequently, a conference between
parent and teacher helps solve these problems.
Page Seventy-seven
^
«k
cM^e^e tlte Sti^Jlentd^ Jiea^u^ ta ^eacU . , .
Tlu" particular function of The Tcacliers Col-
l('j>,-c of tlic ("il\- of IJuston is the I laining' of teachers
for tiie various grades of the puhhc schools. At
pr(>scnt the college is concentrating on teaching
future instructors in the kindei-garten, elementary
schools, and special classes. There has recently
been added a complete course for the training of
young men as instructors in the industrial arts.
The oklest city institution of its kind in the
United States, the Teachers College was founded
as a Normal School in 1852. Since 1922, by au-
thority of the Massachusetts Legislature, the
college has granted the degrees of Bachelor of
Education and Bachelor of Science in Educa-
tion. In 1925 the Legislature empowered the
college to grant the degree of Master of Educa-
tion, a graduate degree.
There are two courses of study : the four-year
course leads to the bachelor's degree in education;
the five-vear course of studv, to the Master of
Education degree. As a result of the Boston
School Department's foresight in this matter, the
city now has a reservoir of well-trained teachers,
especially for the lower grades.
Another very important function of the col-
lege is the giving of refresher courses and coiu'ses
for advanced study to teachers already in service.
Many teachers have taken advantage of these
courses to gain the Master of Education degree.
Classes for in-service teachers are held in the late
afternoons, ow Satui'days, and during the summer
months.
One of the unifjue services which the Teachers
College offers is its Remedial Reading Center.
Here students who are not up to their school grade
in reading ability are given individual instruction
by means of the most progressive and modern
techniques, including many mechanical devices,
until such time as they are able to resume their
normal grade in reading.
THE LAND OF MAKE BELIEVE
These young ladies are students at the Teachers College, studying
^ the type of material they will work with when they become kinder-
garten teachers. Each year young women like these are absorbed
into the Boston Public Schools to teach in the kindergarten, ele-
mentary schools, and special classes.
Page Seventy-nine
K k k tki
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purpk
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cMelfuncj. tUe yaufUf ^eacUe^ .
Long experience with all kinds of educa-
tional problems has taught the Boston Public
Sch()t)ls that beginning teachers in an^' field of
education need training and guidance. In our
system this very important work is carried on by
the Department of Practice and Training.
The aim of this department is to guide and
train teachers from the time of their pre-service
(lays through the time when they become perma-
nently aj^pointed. This year for the first time
the staff of a director and six assistant directors
has been di\ided according to school levels: an
assistant director in charge of high schools, two
assistant directors for full-time work witli the
junior high school, and two assistant directors
si)ecializmg in elementary schools.
These directors work with inexperienced
teachers both in the classroom and outside. In
the elementary field, supervisors visit Teachers
College students doing practice teaching in the
classrooms of the city, observe their teaching,
demonstrate the proper methods to be learned by
the student-teacher, and hold conferences with
individual student-teachers as well as with groups.
Naturally, methods of procedure are changed
from time to time, with the individuality' of the
student-teacher in mind. Just as school pupils
have their individual differences, so do beginning
teachers. As a result there can be no inflexible
plan of teacher-training to be administered in the
same way year in and year out. The basic plan
must be fitted to the particular strengths or weak-
nesses of the individual teacher being trained.
A beginning teacher is considered one who
has not yet mastered the basic classroom skills of
discipline, classroom management, and the essen-
tial techniques of classroom drill, appreciation,
and developmental lessons. The teacher is
considered a beginner until such time as she is
able to manage long-term units of instruction as
well as a daily lesson.
Other functions of this department are the
sui)pl3'ing of substitutes and temjDorary teachers
as well as the recruiting of new teachers.
A procedure recommended by the Strayer
report, that of supervising, observing, and train-
ing Teachers College seniors, has been adopted
by this department also. It is one of the most
satisfying functions of the department's work
because it enables the department to carry out
its program from training to permanent placement .
■I KNOW. I KNOW"
The young lady standing at the blackboard is a student-teacher.
^ She is conducting the class under the direction of the regular
teacher seated at the table at the left. This type of work comes
under the Department of Practice and Training.
Page Eighty-one
^ A^
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PRICE LI5'
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rattle "^i
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wasiiinq:niac
elevision —^\
auto -?o
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Qulde CuHxH Qapuvieio^
The Boston Public School System has al-
ways felt that 3'oung teachers need guidance and
(liiection in their work. Problems arise in various
classrooms not only in connection with the lessons
of the children, but also in class management and
e\en in the selection of material to be used in the
classroom.
To fill this need, our schools have a specialized
instruction agency known as Elementary Super-
vision. It is the particular responsibility of the
grou]) of highly trained specialists in this division
to work for the improvement of teaching methods,
class organization and management, and educa-
tional materials in the elementary schools of the
city.
These supervisors visit classes at all stages
in the elementary grades, listen to the class recite,
observe various difficulties which arise, such as
the learning difficulties of individual children, and
tlieii suggest new approaches and preventative
or corrective measures for this or that problem.
The supervisors encourage the asking of ciuestions
by young teachers in order to give them the
benefit of a richer, fuller experience. In these
ways the observers help the teacher to become a
stronger, more capable instructor. They supple-
ment in the practical field the training the teacher
has already received at the Teachers College.
The resultant improvement of instruction naturally
redounds to the benefit of the children in their
various fields of study.
One of the great strides in modern educa-
tion, as in medicine, has been the development
of preventative rather than corrective methods.
The supervisor, with her broad e.xperience, can
often suggest methods to prevent failure of a
child and thus avoid the necessity of correction
after the failure has occurred. Included in this
type of instruction is remedial reading, which,
if instituted early enough, frequently saves a
child from failure in more than one field of
instruction.
KEEPING STORE
These elementary pupils are engaged on a project developed by
an elementary supervisor to vitalize the teaching of arithmetic.
The charts on the w^all give the various prices of items in the
store. The girl is buying on a budget.
Page Eighty-three
Vete^anl Qa ta £oUoal
The close of the war brought a new problem
to the Boston School Department, the instruc-
tion of returning veterans. Many of these young
men had left their high school classrooms before
tinishing the re(|uirements for the diploma; others
who had left high school and were working when
they entered the service were anxious to return
to school and conii)lete the re(iuirements for the
tliplonia in oi'der to (jualify foi' the benefits of the
CI bill.
In 1945, in order to make it jiossible for these
young men to complete their requirements and
get the necessary preparation for collegiate study,
the School Department set up the School for Vet-
erans. The response was spontaneous. By 1946,
registration had reached the peak of 767 students,
with 300 more on the waiting list. Thirty-six
teachers comprised the original faculty of the
school, which is now housed in the High School
of Commerce.
Students are i)ermitted to enter at axiy time
and to i^roceed in their work as fast as their abil-
ities will ijermit. Obviously, this method of pro-
cedure ref|uires small classes and a great deal
of individual attention.
In the fall of 1946 the Special Program for
Adults was set up in the Boston Clerical School
Building. Previously, at the School for Veterans,
some of the students were collecting subsistence
from the ^"eterans Administration; others were
not. Since the institution of the Special Program
for Adults, young men collecting subsistence have
been required to pay tuition for this schooling.
Students in the Veterans School are allowed to
attend free of charge, if residents of the city.
In 1948 the Special Program for Adults of-
fered courses from July 5 to August 29. Included
among those attending were a number of non-
residents from various parts of the country who
were anxious to earn a high school diploma.
In the summer of 1949 the School for Vet-
erans, in cooperation with the State Department
of Education, functioned from July 5 to August
26 as the Boston Regional High School for Vet-
erans. Veterans from any part of the state are
eligible to attend this school free of charge durmg
the summer. In the winter session residents of
the city are eligible to enter without payment of
tuition; non-residents pay tuition.
CHALK TALK
While his classmates look on, this veteran is giving on explanation
^ of a geometric figure. These students are completing their diploma
requirements and preparing for college. Most of these veterans
served overseas in the late v»ar.
Page Eighty-five
m.
We Qa ta li/aJz Za^
Tlie Conimoinveallli of Massacluisetts has
crrtain laws designed lo i)rotect minor ehildren
by re(]uinng them to meet ceitain mininmm edu-
cational requirements and h.y prohibiting them
from engaging in emploj^ment dangerous to health
or morals.
In the Boston Public Schools the enforcing
of these laws is the function of the Certificating
Office. From time to time it issues employment
and home permits to minors between the ages of
14 and 16 when the Sui)erintendent of Schools
determines tliat the minor's best interests will
be served by such approval.
After recei\'ing the approval of the Super-
intendent of Schools, certified minors are assigned
to compulsory Continuation School (four hours
a week). Attendance officers are in touch with
them regularly. If the minors are not regularly
employed, the.y are returned to regular school.
All minors between the ages of 16 and 21
api)lying for educational certificates and found not
to possess the recjuirements for completion of Grade
VI in English are assigned to compulsory eve-
ning schools. Attendance supervisors and school
officials assist \\\ carrying out the compulsory
attendance laws as thej^ apply to this group.
GOING TO WORK
These two young ladies and the boy in the background are at the
Certificating Office to seek permits to go to work. Under ilie law,
the Superintendent of Schools may at his discretion issue working
permits to children from 14 to 16 years of age if circumstances
warrant it. The number of such requests for working certificates
is gradually decreasing.
Page Eighty-
^
SCIEHCE
¥^^
*, I
Siatutlcd. and PuLUciitf . . .
\v\\ important in any larno organization
liko tlie Boston Public Schools is the Division of
Statistics and Publicity. In a large city, the
pulilic needs to be informetl of the activities of
the schools and to know, in general, what are
the policies of the School Committee and the
Superintendent in administering the schools.
For this purpose the Division of Statistics
and Publicity was set up. This department sees
to it that various activities in the schools which
are ne\\sworthy are called to the attention of the
])ress and radio. It arranges for press confer-
ences with the Superintendent and the School
( ommittee.
Not only are daily papers kept informed of
the doings of the schools, but the large number
of excellent weekly papers are furnished with
material upon which to build articles on the school
system. In addition, this division keeps in touch
with wire services like the Associated Press, the
United Press, and the International News.
This division also acts as an informational
service on the Boston School Department, fur-
nishmg information sought by correspondence,
telephone, and personal interviews. The infor-
mation is available to all school personnel, indi-
viduals, and agencies within the community, as
well as to agencies outside the city.
Still another function of this division is the
collecting and analyzing of statistics having to do
with the system as a whole. It also carries
on special research and statistical assignments
requested b.y the Superintendent of Schools.
DONT LOOK AT THE CAMERA
•^ News cameramen taking pictures for the Science Fair whicli took
place last Spring. Publicity is an important factor in keeping the
public informed about the schools.
Page Eighty-nine
^Zji^-I ^^^
lltl
m j^.
*7<4e Jiicf^kted £oltooUiou6e> , . .
One ol" ilu" mniiy serxiees oflVrcd by the
Hosloii I'uhlic Scliools is carried on hy the I)e])art-
nient of P^xtended l's(> of PubhV- Schools. This
service is oiv(>n throujih sciiool centers. Actually,
tlie school center is a coininunity clubhouse for
infoiinal adult education, and for youth recrea-
tion and guidance. Here ai'e to be found all
types of wholesome entertainment for old and
younj;- alike. There are dances, basketball games,
dramatic and motion picture presentations, as
well as opportunities for various organizations to
hold their meetings.
At these 14 centers conducted throughout
the cit>- in public school buildings, citizens old
and young participate in such activities as art
and crafts instruction, band and orchestra work,
clioral singing, debating, dramatics, cooking, sew-
ing, millinery, embroidery, knitting, crocheting,
hooked-rug making, metal and textile painting,
printing, electricity, woodworking, machine shop
and sheet metal work, as well as boys', girls',
and women's social activities.
Besides these multifarious activities directed
by the Boston Public Schools, local civic educa-
1 ional and welfare organizations lacking accommo-
dations of their own share the use of the buildings
on school center nights with the regular school
center group. Among these organizations are
the Boston Federation of Neighborhood Houses,
Catholic Youth Organization, Y. J\J. C. A., Jew-
ish ^'outii (Ir()ui)s, Boy and Girl Scouts, Camp
Fire (lirls, Universit}- Extension classes, and State
T)ei)artment of Health classes.
The general aim of the Department of Ex-
tended Use of Public Schools is to promote the
usefulness of public school property by conducting
educational and recreational activities in and upon
school property and by allowmg the use of the
buildings by individuals and associations for such
recreational, educational, social, and civic pur-
poses as the School Committee mav^ deem to be
for the interest of the community.
In accordance with a directive from the
School Committee, headmasters and principals of
the \'arious school districts increased the number
of local Home and School Associations to nearly
100 this year. Afternoon and evening meetings
of the groups were held in school buildings, giving
parents and teachers an opportunity to meet one
another and to discuss their common problem —
the child.
The first citj'-wide "Open House" in the his-
tory of the Boston Public Schools was held on
November 17, 1949. This Open House, planned
by the Superintendent as an annual affair, gave
additional opportunity to parents throughout the
city to visit the schools, talk with teachers, prin-
cipals, and headmasters, and hear addresses bj'
noted si:>eakers on topics connected with educa-
tion.
THE LIGHT FANTASTIC
Here is a typical dancing group enjoying one of the many recrea-
^ tional programs held through the city under the direction of the
Department of Extended Use of Public Schools. Different activities
are held at these centers, including the teaching of vocational sub-
jects, hobby work, and home making.
Page Ninety-one
Stu(ltifl4^ a^te^ au/i 2>a^i l4Jo^ . . .
Tlic ( 'ity of Boston lias pi'oNided evenina;
(Mlucational oi)iiortunities on both tlie elementary
and hish school levels for many years. In general
the |)uii)os(> of (>v(>ning instruction is to enable
pnpils to niak(> uj) deficiencies in their education
which have tleveloped as a result of failure in
day schools, or to study or review specialized
subjects tliat are necessary for greater efficiency
in their daytime employment. For the purpose
of gaining promotion on their daytime jobs or to
pi-epare for civil ser^•ice examinations, students
may take \\\) subjects never before studied. Still
another reason for the presence of students in
evening schools is the desire of many to make
profitable use of their leisure time.
Naturally, the studies pursued are not all
academic and commercial. Among the 18 eve-
ning schools are several offering opportunities for
students to take up trade work, either as beginners
oi- advance students. There are new trends in
the various trades developing always, and the
alert craftsman takes advantage of evening school
woi-k to keep abreast of new ideas.
In addition, on the elementary school level,
many students come to the evening school to
learn to speak, read, and write English, as well
as to acquire a diploma as a requisite to entering
high school. Others come to learn how to become
citizens and to study American histor^y. In the
elementary schools also there are opportunities
to imi)rove home living through training in such
suljjects as dressmaking, millinery, and cooking.
Sucli studies help the family budget by making
possible a more efficient planning of home activi-
ties and e.xiienditures. The courses of study
are flexible enough to be modified from time to
time to meet the changing needs of students.
During the school year of 1948-49, a total of
8,497 students were enrolled in 18 evening schools,
four summer schools, and one day school for
immigrants.
The Boston Public Evening Schools supple-
ment the work of the rest of the system by offei-ing
help to those who by actual contact with the
world have discovered what they lack to fit into
the economic and social pattern of life. These
same evening school students, being more experi-
enced in the world, are of help to younger
members of the family in advising them what
to study in day school. Moreover, the evening
school i)rogram jirovides former day school stu-
dents with additional opportunities for specific
education in their chosen fields of endeavor.
The evening school is a most practical example
of true democracy at work. In our various schools
serious-minded representatives of all races, creeds,
and political beliefs work together in complete
harmony and with a common purjjose to make
themselves better citizens of a nation which
guarantees eciual educational opportunities to all,
young or old, children or adults. The Boston
Public Evening Schools are proud to participate
in such a worthy endeavor.
NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN
This man is learning new
evening class for adults.
a typical Boston Public Schools
Page Ninety-threa
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
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CITY OF BOSTON ^^ •';:•■ = PRINTING DEPARTMENT